Proper care of your bike clothing is crucial to ensure your gear lasts as long as possible and always looks like new. Whether it's rugged mountain trails or fast rides on the road, your clothing deserves a bit of love and care after each adventurous bike outing. In this article, we'll reveal how to easily and effectively wash and maintain your Horsefeathers bike clothing so you can focus on one thing – enjoying the ride. Let's get started!
Setting out on a bike ride in stylish and functional clothing is an essential part of any great ride. But how do you ensure your bike clothing stays in top condition even after many challenging miles? Proper care is the key to enjoying your clothing for as long as possible. Here are some tips on how to do it.
1. Read the labels
Start by familiarizing yourself with the care recommendations found on the label of each piece. These symbols will guide you on how best to wash and dry your clothing to avoid damaging the materials and preserve their functional properties. Here are some basic symbols to watch out for:
- Hand Washing: The symbol of a hand in water means that the clothing should be hand washed to prevent damage to the material.
- Washing Temperature: The number inside a square indicates the maximum washing temperature. For technical fabrics, washing at 30°C is often recommended.
- Drying: A square with a circle inside it means that the clothing can be tumble dried, but most technical clothing does not recommend this. If there is a cross over the symbol, avoid using a dryer entirely.
- Ironing: An iron symbol with a cross through it means that the clothing should not be ironed.
2. Pre-washing
Before tossing your clothes into the washing machine, remove any coarse dirt and mud. The best way to do this is by gently shaking or rinsing them in cold water. This reduces the risk of damaging your washing machine and extends the lifespan of your clothing. If there are stubborn stains on your clothes, you can gently scrub them with soapy water or a special cleaner designed for sportswear.
3. Use a gentle detergent
When washing bike clothing, it is important to use a gentle detergent, ideally one designed for sportswear. Avoid harsh cleaning agents and fabric softeners, which can damage the technical properties of the materials, such as breathability and water resistance. Fabric softeners can leave a residue on the fibers, reducing their ability to wick away sweat and breathe.
4. Wash at a low temperature
Higher temperatures can damage the fibers of your clothing and reduce their functionality. Wash your items at a low temperature, ideally at 30°C. This ensures that the materials remain flexible and durable. Additionally, a lower temperature is gentler on the colors, so your clothing will look newer for longer.
5. Drying
It is best to let your clothing air dry. Avoid using a dryer, which can damage the fibers and shrink your clothing. If possible, dry your clothing in a shaded area to prevent the colors from fading. For technical clothing, it is best to hang it on a drying rack where it is not exposed to direct sunlight.
6. Storage
Store your bike clothing in a dry and cool place. Make sure it is completely dry before storing it to prevent mold and unpleasant odors. If you have technical clothing, such as jackets and pants with waterproof layers, occasionally treat them with a waterproofing spray to maintain their water-repellent properties.
7. Treating technical properties
To restore the water-repellent properties of your clothing, you can use special waterproofing sprays. Simply spray onto clean, dry clothing and let it dry. This ensures that your clothing remains functional even in adverse conditions. These sprays restore the protective layer that repels water and dirt, thereby extending the lifespan of your clothing. Learn more about waterproofing technical products in this article.

How to care for clothing with DWR treatment
Clothing with a DWR (Durable Water Repellent) treatment requires special care to maintain its properties. Wash it at a low temperature (30°C) using a gentle detergent without fabric softener and turn it inside out. It's best to air dry it, but if the label allows, you can also use a dryer on a low setting to reactivate the DWR layer. To restore water repellency, use waterproofing sprays or special laundry treatments. Store the clothing in a dry, cool place, ensuring it is completely dry before storing it. Hang or fold it loosely to avoid creases and damage to the DWR treatment.
AND HOW DO OUR RIDERS TAKE CARE OF THEIR BIKE CLOTHES?

Vilibald Vítek
Washing is no enemy to me; I wash everything at 40 degrees with 900 RPM, regardless of whether it's a jersey or a T-shirt. For the best cleaning effect, I use a detergent made from natural soap and, of course, let it dry outside on the balcony.

Michal Kosík
I wash everything at 40 degrees, only jerseys at 30 degrees and only when they are really dirty. After drying, I don't iron, and I impregnate jackets and pants.

Tomáš Zejda
I wash it less frequently and at low temperatures to maintain its functionality. I clean stains locally before washing.

Jakub Říha
I take care of my clothes with love. I give them to my beloved wife, who knows best how to take care of dirty and sweaty clothes so that they become beautifully fragrant again.